diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index 2c0329178d9..9654f770a81 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ linters:
   - perfsprint
   - revive
   - staticcheck
+  - unconvert
   - unused
   - usetesting
   - whitespace
diff --git a/pkg/imgutil/nativeimgutil/nativeimgutil.go b/pkg/imgutil/nativeimgutil/nativeimgutil.go
index 910512d9a3d..3008ff376a0 100644
--- a/pkg/imgutil/nativeimgutil/nativeimgutil.go
+++ b/pkg/imgutil/nativeimgutil/nativeimgutil.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func (n *NativeImageUtil) CreateDisk(disk string, size int64) error {
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 	roundedSize := roundUp(size)
-	return f.Truncate(int64(roundedSize))
+	return f.Truncate(roundedSize)
 }
 
 // ConvertToRaw converts a disk image to raw format.
diff --git a/pkg/store/instance_windows.go b/pkg/store/instance_windows.go
index 4f7b317175a..084c44876ee 100644
--- a/pkg/store/instance_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/store/instance_windows.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func GetWslStatus(instName string) (string, error) {
 		"--verbose",
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to run `wsl --list --verbose`, err: %w (out=%q)", err, string(out))
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to run `wsl --list --verbose`, err: %w (out=%q)", err, out)
 	}
 
 	if out == "" {
@@ -80,9 +80,8 @@ func GetWslStatus(instName string) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Check for edge cases first
-	outString := string(out)
-	if strings.Contains(outString, "Windows Subsystem for Linux has no installed distributions.") {
-		if strings.Contains(outString, "Wsl/WSL_E_DEFAULT_DISTRO_NOT_FOUND") {
+	if strings.Contains(out, "Windows Subsystem for Linux has no installed distributions.") {
+		if strings.Contains(out, "Wsl/WSL_E_DEFAULT_DISTRO_NOT_FOUND") {
 			return StatusBroken, fmt.Errorf(
 				"failed to read instance state for instance %q because no distro is installed,"+
 					"try running `wsl --install -d Ubuntu` and then re-running Lima", instName)
@@ -96,7 +95,7 @@ func GetWslStatus(instName string) (string, error) {
 	var instState string
 	wslListColsRegex := regexp.MustCompile(`\s+`)
 	// wsl --list --verbose may have different headers depending on localization, just split by line
-	for _, rows := range strings.Split(strings.ReplaceAll(string(out), "\r\n", "\n"), "\n") {
+	for _, rows := range strings.Split(strings.ReplaceAll(out, "\r\n", "\n"), "\n") {
 		cols := wslListColsRegex.Split(strings.TrimSpace(rows), -1)
 		nameIdx := 0
 		// '*' indicates default instance
diff --git a/pkg/windows/process_windows.go b/pkg/windows/process_windows.go
index 9c88bbaf36a..93cb760d8ad 100644
--- a/pkg/windows/process_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/windows/process_windows.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func GetProcessCommandLine(name string) ([]string, error) {
 	}
 
 	var outJSON CommandLineJSON
-	if err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(out), &outJSON); err != nil {
+	if err = json.Unmarshal(out, &outJSON); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal %q as %T: %w", out, outJSON, err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/wsl2/vm_windows.go b/pkg/wsl2/vm_windows.go
index 531de6c0116..0ee09bcae33 100644
--- a/pkg/wsl2/vm_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/wsl2/vm_windows.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func startVM(ctx context.Context, distroName string) error {
 	}, executil.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to run `wsl.exe --distribution %s`: %w (out=%q)",
-			distroName, err, string(out))
+			distroName, err, out)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func initVM(ctx context.Context, instanceDir, distroName string) error {
 	}, executil.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to run `wsl.exe --import %s %s %s`: %w (out=%q)",
-			distroName, instanceDir, baseDisk, err, string(out))
+			distroName, instanceDir, baseDisk, err, out)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func stopVM(ctx context.Context, distroName string) error {
 	}, executil.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to run `wsl.exe --terminate %s`: %w (out=%q)",
-			distroName, err, string(out))
+			distroName, err, out)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ func unregisterVM(ctx context.Context, distroName string) error {
 	}, executil.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to run `wsl.exe --unregister %s`: %w (out=%q)",
-			distroName, err, string(out))
+			distroName, err, out)
 	}
 	return nil
 }